Fire-extinguisher.



D. W. DIGGS.

FIRE EXTINGUISHBR.

APPLIOATION FILED oo'r. 5,1907.

919,552. Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

DABNEY W. DIGGS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 27, 1909.

Application filed October 5, 1907. Serial No. 395,990.

To all whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that l, DABNEY WT. DIGGs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usel'ul improvements in Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention is an improvement in Yire extinguishers relating to the means for operating the stopper of the bottle thereof and applies both to the tilting and to the stationary-bottle form of extinguisher.

ln the drawings which show my devices applied to a tilting bottle form of extinguisher, Figure 1 is a sectional view partly in elevation'of the upper part of an extinguisher embodying my present inprovements; Eig. 2 is a similar view, except that the stopper is shown raised and the bottle tilted; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view ot' a detail, comprising the operating member and related parts.

Describing now my invention with particular reference to the devices ol the drawings, and reserving it to the claim to point out the novel features, 1 is the casing of a 'fire extinguisher having an externally threaded collar 2 with which the internal threads oit' cap l3 are ada ted to co-act. The cap 3 has a ring or han( le 4 by which it can be conveniently operated.

Depending from the underside of the cap are arms 5 5 preferably united at the bottom by a cross piece 6, said arms being formed with holes to receive the'trunnions 7 7 of the tilting bottle-frame 3. This tilting yframe comprises two strips 9 9 of lead crossing at right angles underneath the bottle 10 where they are united and from which they extend upwardly next the sides of the bottle.

Projecting from two ot' the opposite strips are the trunnions 7 7 adapted to be received as stated in holes in the arms 5 6. A piece of rubber or other yielding material 11 is preferably interposed between the bottom of the bottle and its lead supporting frame. The cap 3 has an opening through it in line with the mouth oi' the bottle 10, through which a stem 12 reciprocatingly projects. This stem within the extinguisher has secured to it a preferably lead stopper member 14 which by engagement with the mouth of the bottle is adapted to seal it. Preferably the bottle engaging portion of the stopper member is provided with a disk 15 of rubber or other yielding` material, lirst to prevent the lead stopper from breaking the bottle, and second, to make the closure tight. For this purpose the lead stopper may have its bottom recessed as shown to receive the disk l5, which is retained therein by an inwardly projecting ilange 1G from the rim of the stopper.

The upper portion of the lead stopper is hollowed annularly about the stein at 17 to ltelescope with sliding Viit over a cylindrical projection 1S on the underside et the cap, forming part of a stuiling-box through which the stem 12 projects. The aforesaid stui'l'- ing-box member 18 being preferably and almost necessarily made of other metal than lead, for exam le brass, and being accordingly attackablpe by acids is protected from such corrosion by the lead stopper into which it telescopes as previously explained. Moreover said telescoping co-action of these parts serves to aline the stopper with the mouth of the bottle by preventing the stein 12, supporting the stopper, from wabbling i n its opening through the cap. The cylindrical member 18 on the cap is hollowed annularly about the stem 12 to receive packing material 19. A gland 20 screw-connects with the member 1S and constitutes therewith a stulling-box lor stem 12. A spiral spring 21 surrounds the stopper member and by engagement above with the underside of the cap and below with the outiianging portion 22 of the stopper tends normally to depress said stopper into closing position over the mouth ol' the bottle.

To remove the stopper oll' the mouth el' the bottle and to hold it stationary, when in elevated position, is an operating member consisting oi a handle portion. and a lower portion divided into two legs 2e!I to straddle the projecting end ol' the stein l2. A pin 25 pivotally unites the legs 24 in straddling position to the stem at a point above the ends oll said legs, whereby upon raising the handle end 23 ol the operating member, the stem is lifted by theeam action ol' the legs bearing against the top ol' the gland 2O until the stein has been lil'ted a distance equal to the length ing in upright position the legs will support the stem and the stopper which it carries stationarily in elevated position with the mouth ol' the bottle open. As it is elevated the handle end Ol' the operating member will obviously move through an are and depressing said handle will cause it to move through ol' the legs below the pivot-pin, whereupon bethe same aro in reverse direction and the legs 2e once they have moved out oi' their upright supporting position, will permit the spring 2l to carry the handle automatically into its depressed position and consequently the stein and stopper into their depressed position with the stopper closing the mouth of the bottle. Preferably the ends or footportions 26 ol the legs 2e will be enlarged and flattened to give the legs greater stability when they support the stem in elevated position. lrelerably also the bearing portions olA the legs between their ends and the pivot pin will be rounded in the form ol' what is practically a cam. A stop 27 may be provided on the legs 24 to abut against the stein l2 when the operating member has been swung into the position where it holds the stem stationary in elevated position.

Surrounding the opening through the cap through which the stem l2 projects and located next the underside oi. said cap, is a washer 30 ol' rubber or other yielding material. den the stem l2 is in the elevated position oll Fig. 2 by the operation oi' the handle 23, this washer is pressed all around from below by the annular edge or rim of the upper end ol' the lead stopper member le, thereby making a gas-tight joint which prevents escape of from the interior ol the extinguisher out gas t 4rough the stem opening in the cap.

Having thus described my invention what l claim is:

In a tire extinguisher, the combination ol' a can adapted to close the extinguisher, said caphaving a hole therethrough, a stuiling box surrounding said hole and projecting below the underside of the cap, a stem received through said hole and stuiling box an d extending above and below the cap, a lead stopper on the stem below the cap, said l l l l l I l l l l stopper comprising a base portion and a hollow cylindrical portion extending upwardly from the base portion to inclose the portion ol the `stuicling box which projects from the underside oi'` the cap, a washer surrounding said portion of the stuffing box and adapted to be pressed between the underside ol the cap and the rim of the cylindrical portion ol the stopper, when the stopper has been elevated into inclosing position over the stuling box, a spiral spring surrounding the cylindrical portion oi' the stopper, said spring being normally under compression and being located between the underside of the cap and the base portion of the stopper to give said stopper normal downward tendency into closing position over the mouth of the bottle, said bottle tiltingly supported within the eX- tinguisher with its mouth in position to be closed by the bottom of the base portion ol the stopper when the bottle is upright, said bottom ol' the stopper being recessed, the rim of said recess being underhanging to uphold within the recess awasherof yielding material adapted to be compressed between the mouth ol' the bottle and the base of the stopper, said washer, and manually operable means in connection with the end of the stem which is above the cap adapted to elevate said stem against the compression of the spring and to uphold the stopper to uncover the mouth oll the bottle and release said bottle into tilting position.

In witness whereof, I have signed my name to the foregoing specication in the presence ol' two subscribing witnesses.

DABNEY W. DIGGS. Vitnesses Jos. F. OBRIEN, T. W. SPRINGMEYER 

